Diurnal Birds of Prey – Report: On a Wing and a Prayer

Birds of Prey – On a Wing and a Prayer Report

Birds of prey generally have been hit hard by human activities, from persecution to chemicals to agricultural changes, and it has taken decades of dedication, conservation and campaigning to help many species recover. Some still face significant threats.

As a charity dedicated to birds of prey, the Hawk and Owl Trust has been working with 25 other organisations to produce Birds of Prey in the UK:on a wing and a prayer.

As its introduction explains:

“It highlights the value and importance of birds of prey in the UK and the conservation success story they represent. It seeks to separate fact from myth, based on evidence and not anecdote.

“We have published this because, as a group of organisations, we are concerned that a small number of people see birds of prey as a threat and portray their recovery as being ‘out of control’.

“Some people go further, breaking the law, with serious and sad consequences for birds of prey in some parts of the UK.

“As champions of the natural environment, we can only be content when the populations and distributions of our birds of prey recover fully. For this to happen, full legal protection must be maintained and action taken to stop illegal killing.

“We wish to see healthy populations of all wildlife and collectively are doing much to restore special habitats, secure more sustainable land management and introduce people to the spectacle of our native wildlife.”